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After living on the North shore of Massachusetts for a few years, I am returning to my original home of the South shore. The big difference this time is that now I have my very own dog. I adopted Tris from Schultz’s Guest House in Dedham MA three years ago. During those three years we explored the city of Salem, and some other beautiful spots on the North shore. We had made friends, dog and human alike, at all our local haunts, and now we are beginning to explore the dog friendly spots of Plymouth and Cape Cod. Feel free to check out all of our favorite dog friendly shops, restaurants, and parks, on both shores!

Whenever I add a new pet to our household, I always try to take my time when it comes to the dog. Tris is a very loving and tolerant canine, but she still has a prey drive so I am always cautious. Our guinea pig is a great source of entertainment for Tris, and she loves to lick her when she is out and about for playtime. Now that they are alright to co-exist together I have some strategies to help with her future chicken integration. Tris loves watching our chicks, and whenever they make a sudden movement she perks right up and stands at attention.

After a couple of days of watching them through the glass I took one out for some gentle petting. Tris was right there curiously watching. She gave the chick a little lick on the head, and when Tris started to get a bit nudge-y I decided that was enough chick time for the day.

Next I set up a play pen in my garage to let the chicks have some free range fun. Tris watched from afar and seemed to enjoy seeing them prance all over my legs and scoot around the pen. After a few more days of watching, I hope to let her into the play pen with me and the chicks. This should foster a sense of protectiveness, that could last until the chicks reach adulthood. More pointers, and updates to come!

I got these healthy rambunctious chicks from Agway of Cape Cod in Dennis MA. They were super helpful when it came to ordering a specific breed, and the store was full of exciting gardening and pet supplies (https://agwaycapecod.com).

The chickens have just arrived, and in less than a half hour they have quieted down and adjusted to the new enclosure. The car ride home with the heat on seemed to keep them happy, but they sure were glad to get out of their box.

Meanwhile, Tris is fascinated. She loves hearing all their chirps, and her new favorite hobby is watching them eat, drink, and run around. This weekend I plan to let her get up close, and sniff one or two of them. More updates ahead!

Morrison’s Garden Center in Plymouth is a regular weekend pit stop for us. Tris enjoys the staff, who know her by name, and loves getting a treat at the check out counter. They sometimes have live animals, which always spark her attention. Along with lots of great outdoor gardening gear, they have lots of pet supplies as well. Of course Tris always chooses a Whimzee when we visit.

This news story, that was filmed and edited by our school’s EdTv students, is outstanding!!!! Tris has been coming to library class and helping our students become more confident readers. We are so happy to be a part of the NMES family. Thanks to everyone for featuring us, we can’t wait for future visits.

Every Saturday for the past three years Tris and I have volunteered at either a hospital, nursing home or rehab center. Since we moved to the South Shore we found a lovely nursing home in Plymouth to visit. Over the past year we have visited many of our elderly friends. Sadly sometimes they have to change care centers, or even worse, pass away. Not only do I get attached to these amazing people, but Tris does as well. One of her “Boyfriends” that had moved away, wasn’t doing very well. Before he had gotten ill he told all his new nurses about Tris, and recently one of them reached out to us. We drove to see him and Tris cuddled right up next to him in bed. As we walked into the room I saw he had printed paper photos of Tris from the internet. He loved her so much.

Tris knew his time was short. She laid her head in his unmoving hand and gave him some kisses. That night after we left, he passed away.

These moments we have, and memories we make on a weekly basis, are not just to benefit the residents, they benefit Tris and I as well. My advice? Volunteer, put yourself out there, you might just make a life connection that will stay with you forever. And boy does it feel good to have made an impact on someones life in such a positive way.

Therapy Dogs International is a great organization with fairly inexpensive annual membership fees. They are a great place to start exploring if you want to volunteer with your dog. (Www.TDI-Dog.org).

So our 6 new chickens are on their way from Iowa, and Tris knows something is up. I recently cleaned out an old 30 gallon fish tank to use as a brooder. Our garage shelf seems to be the perfect home for it. Agway of Cape Cod, and the book “The Chicken Chicks Guide to Backyard Chickens, have been our top two informational resources. The coop is also on its way from ChickenSaloon.com, and should be arriving sometime next week. Since chickens have 3 stages of growth the brooder will be their first home, then the coop’s interior, and finally I will add in the run. The run is a chain link dog kennel with a wire top, and I’m most excited about creating enrichment for the hens in this space. I hope to make a branch swing and roost for them to play on, as well as a sand pit for dust baths. So here goes, our journey begins this May. Stay tuned for more!

Sometimes when it is zero degrees out for days you have to get creative. Being cooped up for so long was really getting to Tris; So we decided to do some errands together. She loved Home Depot, and especially this waiting room at our local Toyota dealership. It was a great way for her to spend time outside of the house, but not in the bitter cold temps outside. Sometimes we go to our local Garden Supply Store as well. They always have a treat ready for her.

Every month Tris eagerly awaits her BarkBox, but this month was even more special. We noticed a special holiday colored BarkBox on our front step today, and she simply couldn’t contain her excitement. As she sat in front of her box crying for me to get it open, I grabbed the camera ready to document some of the holiday goodies she found inside.

The stuffed toys, and edible sticks and treats, are tied for first place. She loves her holiday lamppost and already devoured the duck stick. Next up will be the holiday themed bags of treats…

Thanks for the early Christmas joy BarkBox! We love your whimsical designs and delicious treats!

If you have ever walked from one end of the Cape Cod Canal to the other you would know about the park in Buzzards Bay. It is still being developed/renovated but so far there are benches, a beautiful gazebo, and some walking paths that lead right to the train bridge. This park featured a neat monument to fisherman, many personally engraved bricks along one of the sidewalks, and even some bronze fish atristically placed within the cement. We saw many people, and dogs, headed down the bike path towards the Bourne Bridge. With loads of open grass, and a mystery project off to one side, maybe a soon-to-be playground, there was so much to explore.

Whimzee dog toys are two toys in one, well at least for Tris. She tends to not devour these edible toys right away, instead she carries these potato starch creations around and plays with them for weeks and weeks before deciding to chew them to pieces. She loves to toss them, and occasionally sneaks them outside to bury. For Tris a stocking full of the (medium) Hedgehog Whimzee is the best holiday gift she could ever imagine. And this Christmas Santa has her covered.